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Dark Saturn, the Quest for Steam

A few years ago some friends and I graduated from Vancouver film school with game design diplomas and an eagerness to create games. I also graduated into the largest economic collapse since the 30's and like so many others, found myselves looking for work in any field. I needed to pay the bills but a part of me always wanted to make the games I dreamed about as a kid. Now, years later, I are doing just that. I are striving to reach a dream. I have challenged myselves to make a game and release it through steams greenlight service. This is a development blog about both the game I am creating and the troubles I face. It is intended to support others who may face similar obstacles and help them to avoid pitfalls.

What are we making?

When you watched Star Wars V ( assuming you have), that part when Han Solo ejects himself with the trash off the destroyer to escape being caught is the feeling I want to convey. That sense of smug satisfaction that you could fool those around you and get away with it. I want people to feel like Han Solo. So how am I doing that?

The game is based on Galaga meets Splinter Cell. This is a top down subterfuge space game that pits the player against hordes of intelligent space pirates who are determined to find and destroy you. Armed with nothing but a small blaster cannon, some mines and a sense of direction, you can outflank your enemies and make your move when it suits you best.

Goal

Our lofty goal is to release the game on steams greenlight service. Steam is an online distributor of video games and other software. Greenlight is a user-based service in Steam that allows users to vote on content that would otherwise not make it onto the platform. The more users say they will buy the content, the better the chance the game will be greenlight.

Progress

We have created prototypes of all the mechanics for the game. Currently we are putting them all together in one build before we add the final art layer of ships and particle effect. As you can see wehave come a long way. Although we still have a great deal to do!

The art for the ships is made from illustrator using 3d models as a reference. Every model is made this way with the exception of asteroids and brought to life, and death, using vector graphics.

The story is made from scratch from sketches that are based on character profiles. These characters are then added to the environments and painted.

Shelby Marchtaler

Shelby one day stepped out of an anime show and took mortal form. Hailing from the Island (Vancouver Island) he lives a secret life. By day he is a humble factory worker but by night he is our go-to artist breathing life into the ones and zeros.

Nick Yonge

We imagine that he was born into a pack of wolves and raised to bring Gotham’s underworld to justice but in reality Nick is a Vancouver native. He is our programmer who has completed several notable games and holds the record for being the tallest man in the world. One of those facts is incorrect.

James Morgan

I am the team leader, the Han Solo, the JarJar Binks... wait, that’s not right. I'm the guy who started all this with the intention of giving you good people a game that was fun. I'm driven to make something unique that can be remembered as something special. That, or I'm just making the game I always wanted to play as a kid.

This development blog is intended to be viewed by people who are interested in not only the game but our process for making it. I hope that you have found this game as enjoyable as I did in the making. Stay tuned for more updates next week.